skyhawk

It's a team sport and a player's worth should be measured in more than statistics. I'm glad we have both of them but Childress' game is much more complete - he can handle, drive, defend, pass, rebound and his shot will get better. He'll also be the leader of this team at some point in his career - even with JJ here. If I had to choose - Childress without a doubt.

I just don't understand the media and HawkSquawkers slamming BK for not selecting Paul or Williams. No doubt they'll be good players but you have to take a chance on greatness. The real question for me on MWill is will he reach the point where he can raise his level of play when the game is on the line and will he be able to make his teammates better. He certainly has the potential to that moreso than any player in this draft. He posesses the work ethic, unselfishness and competitive drive to maximize his talent. Another key question is can Mike Woodson help him get there. Certainly having a good PG would be nice but I don't believe it's necessary for a championship run. Just look at San Antonio and Detroit where neither team has a true point as Billups and Parker are scorers. Time will tell but no there's doubt in me that BK did the right thing..

This is definitely for the old-timers and pre-Atlanta. The worse move the Hawks will ever make as I can't see us ever trading a Hall-of-Famer for 2 good players. Sad part about it is that the trade wasn't made because team management under estimated Russell's skill and impact but because he was Black. That's also the reason that the team was eventually moved to ATL - St. Louis wouldn't support an all-Black team.

I like Bender - actually he's the one guy that I watch whenever the Pacers play. I think he's got a good upside as an offensive player but he seems a little timid to me. Also, he appears to lack awareness on the defensive end where his lack of aggressiveness really hurts him.... I agree with you on Harrington not being athletic and he's not a guy that I'd pursue for the Hawks. As a whole, I really think that the Pacers are overrated and have maxed out as a team..

I would have liked Portland's pick also but I'm sure if Portland had given us their pick it would have been protected...

I thought this was pretty interesting: When you root for a bad team, you get to scrutinize the other teams at the bottom of the standings, and I've decided that I really like the Hawks, despite their lousy fans and ownership hassles. The players on the court play hard and seem to play unselfishly, too, which is impressive given that many of them will be free agents in a few days. The Hawks really laid the wood on New Jersey tonight. Sura's triple-double wasn't even the most impressive line for them--Boris Diaw put up 10 assists in 26 minutes, without a single shot attempt. (He wound up with one point on a free throw.) It would surprise me if the Hawks don't finish the season by beating Boston for the second time in a week--not that it will help the Suns, who will probably end on a four-game winning streak and wind up with the 7th or 8th overall pick. Still, it's the thought that counts, right? Anyway, I hope they wind up getting a lucky bounce and pick up Dwight Howard as a reward for their players' efforts. It would be nice to see Terry Stotts get another year as the dean of EC coaches, and if they could hold onto their chemistry from this year by re-signing Stephen Jackson, Bobby Sura and maybe Przybilla, that would be even better

I agree with the idea that we need an athletic 4 who run, rebound and defend. This guy looks like an interesting prospect who also played with Diaw last year on Pau Orthez. Seems to be similar to Nene when he was at this age. Here's an Insider write up on him: We may need to add another young international stud to the mix. Sources told Insider Thursday that French forward Johan Petro is mulling declaring for the draft. Petro is a 6-11, 245-pound power forward playing for French team Pau Orthez (the same team that gave the NBA Mickael Pietrus and Boris Diaw). Petro has played limited minutes for Pau this year, but scouts love his athleticism, length, rebounding and aggressive defense. He's a little raw offensively, but he did average 17.8 ppg for the French national team last summer in the 18-and-under category. I don't know where you'd put him, but from the scouts I've talked to, he's got a chance to make the first round...definitely a sleeper pick

Terry Stotts has proven over the last month that he's a good coach. Even though the guys are playing for contracts, I don't think this an aberration. The players listen to him and he's molded an exciting team from a group of castoffs. I never bought into the GM/Coach role for Doc Rivers and now I'm not even sure he can do a better coaching job than Stotts. I for one hope he stays....

Kudos to Billy Knight. We finally have hope of fielding an exciting and athletic team. A team that will compete for more than an 8th seed in the playoffs. It's not going to happen over night but I believe that BK can do the job and I'm more than willing to patient. More importantly, the owners must believe this too as I'm sure he has their backing on these moves.... If you're a true fan just chill and give Knight a chance...he's building this team the right way...

The Magic also own Phoenix's 2nd round pick which should still be a good one. However, the point is they don't have to give us their own pick - any 2nd rounder will do. Knowing Gabriel, he'll find a way to keep the Suns pick by acquiring an even lower 2nd rounder. So don't get too excited about having another high pick in the 2nd...

How unfortunate for the Lane family and the children left without a father. I don't know if he was a good man or if the allegations of spousal abuse are true but it seems like such a waste...

I didn't mean to imply that I didn't like Reef - I think he's a good player who plays hard (most of the time) and I truly believe he cares. I just don't see Reef as the kind of guy who can carry a team to a championship. He's certainly a building block but not the foundation. I certainly agree with you on JT. He's quit on the team and it's rubbed off on some others. I belive that Theo cares but the losing and negativity is just wearing him down and he's become very frustrated. I'd love to see what he can do on a team that really that understands how play defense..

It's good to hear that they like Billy Knight. iIdefintely believe he's the right man for the job and I'm sure that given the resources and support, Knight can build us a winning team. It's going to take time so I hope that the owners realize this and are prepared to be patient. I don't have any feelings about Stotts one way or the other. I definitely feel that JT needs to go. I was hoping that he'd end up with the Jazz but I understand why we brought him back. As for Reef, a lot of people seem to think that we should build around him but I just don't see that. There's no way I'd make him the cornerstone of my franchise - especially if my goal was to win a championship. And of course, the goal of any owner should always be to win a championship and not compete for the 8th seed in the East!!

How embarrassing to see the Hawks play like this. I've been a fan for 40 years and this is the worst I've ever seen them play. I can't fault Stotts for this mess but it appears that he's really lost his team. Greg Anthony was right in saying that they look like a NBDL team - they certainly do tonight. I'm all for blowing this ship up - JT, Reef, Glove, Theo, Jax - they all need to go. It's a shame when your starting five plays with no effort, passion or hustle....